2008 Tucson Film & Music Festival: Official Lineup

By Mike Everleth ⋅ October 1, 2008

Not every film at the 3rd annual Tucson Film & Music Festival is about music and musicians, but a good 99% of them are. There’s also a ton of documentaries, plus short films, a music video showcase and more. If you love music and movies about it, this is the festival to go to and it runs Oct. 9-12.

There’s only one brief Underground Film Journal shout out: Underground Film Journal regular Jay Hollinsworth will be screening his new, ingenious video for New Radiant Storm King’s “Clouds Cover Everything.” Jay’s becoming NRSK’s official videographer it seems and it’s sounds and looks like it’s a marriage made in heaven.

Otherwise, here’s the full lineup:

Oct. 97:30 p.m.:Throw Down Your Heart, dir. Sascha Paladino. This documentary travels along with banjo expert Bela Fleck as he tours across Africa to discover the forgotten history of the banjo and to record an album.

Oct. 107:30 p.m.:Slide Guitar Ride, dir. Bernd Schoch. Meet and tour along with one-man-band sensation Bob Log III who performs with his face covered by a bubble mask motorcycle helmet and sings into a phone receiver as a microphone.

Oct. 1112:00 p.m.:Full Moon Lightning, dir. John Gardiner. Over 60 years ago, Floyd Lee left his hometown and troubled childhood behind. Now, he and his blues return to his home to reconnect with his painful past.

5:30 p.m.:Nowhere Now: The Ballad of Joshua Tree, dir. Don DiNicola. Joshua Tree is a major destination in the California desert for musicians of all stripes. Eric Burdon, Gram Parsons, Victoria Williams, Gram Rabbit, The Sibleys, Ted Quinn, Emily Adams and more talk about what draws them here.

6:00 p.m.:Adventures of Power, dir. Ari Gold. A profile of Power, the greatest air-drummer of all time, who discovers a whole network of people who share his passion.

7:30 p.m.:Anvil: The Story of Anvil, dir. Sacha Gervasi. The true story of heavy metal band Anvil, consisting of just two friends, “Lips” and Robb Reiner, who have been rocking out for nearly 40 years.

5:00 p.m.:A Deal Is a Deal, dir. Jonathan Gershfield. A London subway driver accidentally kills two people with his train and learns that he’ll lose his job if he kills a third. So, he finds a poor schmuck who wants to commit suicide to strike up a deal so he can get fired and onto the dole.

5:30 p.m.:Martino: Unstrung, dir. Ian Knox. Paul Broks, a neuropsychologist, studies the strange story of Pat Martino, who went from suffering from amnesia to becoming a master jazz guitar player.

7:30 p.m.:Nerdcore for Life, dir. Dan Lamoureux. A documentary on the world of nerdcore hip-hop, also known as “geek rap,” which seeks to help eliminate anti-nerd stereotypes.